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Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Book Review: Sabatoged

Review by Marianne

Title: Sabotaged

Author: Dani Pettrey

Rating: 5/5

Age Recommendation: Teen/Adult

Plot: Growing up, goody-two-shoes Kirra Jacobs and trouble-maker Reef McKenna were always at odds. Now as they work search-and-rescue together for Alaska's arduous Iditarod race, a growing attraction seems to be forcing aside old arguments. Then Reef catches Kirra sneaking from camp in the middle of the night.

Kirra's uncle, a musher in the race, has disappeared. Kirra and Reef quickly track the man, but what they discover is harrowing: Frank's daughter has been kidnapped. Kirra and Reef along with the entire McKenna family, are thrown int a race to stop a shadowy villain who is not only threatening a girl's life - but appears to be willing to unleash one of the largest disasters Alaska has ever seen.

Copied from the back of Sabotaged.

I thought that the plot of this book progressed and unfolded perfectly. Pettrey was able to balance the suspense and romance so that I wasn't entirely overwhelmed with either, and this turned out to be a really great book. I had never read anything by this author before and after reading Sabotaged I can't wait to read more from her! This book was the fifth book in a series, but a stand alone novel. Although I probably would have understood Reef's family and their relationships better had I read the others, I do not think that hindered me from fully enjoying this novel.

Characters: I loved how all of the characters in this book progressed. I loved the way their relationships unfolded and the way I could fully understand each of their feelings without having to read multiple paragraphs explaining them. I thought that even though I hadn't read the previous books about Reef's siblings, I was still able to connect with each of them.

Emotions: A large portion of the book Kirra is living in fear and what was basically depression over a past event, so about 3/4 of the book, she was having trouble really trusting God and allowing Him to pull her out of the mess. Therefore, a lot of the emotions are her struggles with this situation, however, there was also a good mix of humor, suspense, and hope.

My Thoughts: Over-all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I really loved how the romantic relationships portrayed in it were very God-centered and appropriate. They were viewed as the couple walking with the Lord and serving him together, and it was beautiful.

Now I'll get to my age recommendation. I saw this book is a Teen/Adult book because of two things. 1. The violence. There was not an inappropriate amount, but it's a suspense novel so you can expect some. And 2. In the past, Kirra had been sexually assaulted. About halfway through the book to recalls the event and although it did not go into great detail, it was made clear what had transpired. I felt that this detail was necessary to get the point across that the author was trying to make: That God is always with you, even in the rough spots, and that there is nothing so terrible that God can not pull you out of it. Please keep in mind that I wouldn't particularly consider either of these things as a con, it was just clear that the book was intended for an older audience. That being said, I totally loved this book, and would highly recommend it!

Disclaimer: I was sent a free copy of Sabotaged from Bethany House Publishing Company for the purpose of this review. All opinions expressed above are my own.